1. Field of the Invention
The present Invention relates to improved apparatus and novel methods of operation for bulk material handling clamshell buckets having a pair of bucket scoops with opposed doors. More particularly, the present invention relates to the apparatus and method for reorienting a clamshell bucket 90 degrees with respect to its alternative orientation whereby a bucket can be reoriented for digging within tight spaces such as the holds of ships.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a clamshell bucket is utilized for scooping bulk material piled in an open area, the operation of the bucket is unrestricted and there is no need to alternate the orientation of the bucket mouth. However, when digging inside the hold of a ship to remove bulk material. It is usually necessary to reorient the bucket 90 degrees In order to dig along all four walls and out of the corners of the holds. The procedure for doing this necessitates detaching the sheaves which are affixed to the base plate of the bucket and rotating them 90 degrees and then reattaching them. In most of the systems in use, it is necessary to rotate both of the internal sheave systems 90 degrees in order for the bucket to rotate correspondingly 90 degrees.
There are some devices on the market specifically designed to accomplish a 90-degree rotation of a clamshell bucket, but these are specialized machines which are expensive and unnecessarily complicated to manufacture.
The present invention is a simplified reorienting apparatus for a clamshell bucket which changes the attachment of the holding ropes to the headblock at different attachment points whereby the clamshell bucket can be rotated 90 degrees without the necessity of disassembly and reassembly of the sheave system which operates the buckets or an expensive apparatus to facilitate the operation.